Electrical torsion contactor



Patented Apr. 11, 1939 f uNlTED f STATES .PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL2,154,301 e rr'oRsIo'N coNTAoroa kFrank M. Clement, Beloit, Wis.,assigner, by mesne assignments, to Torsion Grip Manufacturing o.,Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December s, 1935,serial No. 53,220.

e l d, y Claims. *This .invention relatesy toA electrical connectors andparticularly to thosel of the type that is adapted toengageLiane-electrodes or prongs of a radiotube or the like.

- The main objects of this invention areto provide anr improvedfform ofsocket member for radio tubes and the like and having improvedelectrical terminals `which grip the prongs of the ytube ina superiormanner; to provide an improved constructionof this character inwhichgreater force isrequired to detach-the tube than is required forrattaching it; to provides. construction v. of this character in whichvibration yor jarring of the. tube, tendsto increase the grip ofthe'uconnectoryand to providefor multiple prong, tube sockets animprovedconstructionwhich may bejsimple `in rform and operation andinexpensiveto manufacture.

y Anillustrative embodiment of the present linvention is shown which:

Fig. 1 isa bottom planfview of a multiple prong radio. tube socket withVsome of .the connectors omitted for: the purpose of illustrating thestrucz tural details. Y

in theaccompanying drawing, in

Fig. 2.is a sectional view of the ysametaken on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

d Fig. y3- is a perspective view of a torsion grip connector unit whichforms a part of the structureshown in Fig.1. t g Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the same as it appears at one step in the operation of form-`ing it. Y A y Fig. 5ris a top` plan .View of a modified form ofthe.torsion grip connector. e

Fig 6 .is a side edge view of thesame.

Fig.A .'lfis a'r bottom rplan view ofk a multiple prong tube socket,having a modified form'of plate for holding the connector terminals.

In theeiorm shown inthe drawing, the tube l socket I, isfastenedong/mounting plate 2v by means rof screws 3 and consists of lower andyupper insulation plates ,4 and, both plates being preferablyVconstructed of perforated sheets of insulating material, such as`Bakelite, liber or the like, secured together by yrivets 6. The plate 5as shownis provided with a plurality of symmetrically spaced prongapertures 'l and an equal numberjof adjacent rapertures or slots 8lwhich cooperate in securing the connectors 9. `The `torsionl grip.connectors `or clips A9 are preferably formedk of unitary punchingsstamped from sheet-metaLas shown in Fig. 4:,l and each comprising twoleaves IIJr and II. folded upon each other and together bent at anangle, on a line parallel tothe fold, and resiliently bendable relativeto each other. Semi-tubular prong grips or lips I2 andv I3 of arcuatesection are formed on outer ends of the leaves IIIl and Il and stand outfrom the plane thereof. As will be apparent, when the leaves I0 and IIare folded these two grips face eachother and form a split socketadapted to receive theprong of a radio tube or the like. The grips I2and I3 are at opposite edges of differentv leaves of the folded clip andthey are inclined toward each other at their ends.

When a prong of a radio tube or the like is inserted into the socket theextremities of the grips I2 and I3 are spread apart,but this spreadlng'is resisted by the side twist or torsional strain of the parallelrleaves, III and II.A The connectors 9 are placed between the insulatingplates land 5 in-the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the sides ofaperturesl prevent any lateral movement of the leaves, but the plates 4and 5 are spaced apart as shown, to permit a limited amount oftorsionalbending of the leaves Illfand II.-l The marginaledges of theapertures 'I serve'as fulcrums about which the prong grips may rock. v

Thebutt .end portion I4 of the connector 9 extends through the slot 8and downwardly be-. yondl the bottom plate 5, to form a soldering lug.The end portion I4 is provided with apertures I4.I to receive and holdthe wires which are to be` soldered to the connector. The open slots 8prevent the connectors from skewing. Another method of. preventingskewing is shown in Fig. 7, Where the bottom plate 5.I has a singleT-slot punched ho1e l6 of irregular form to receive and hold .theconnector, and permits a lfree spring action between the grips I2 andI3. A modified form of my torsion connector is shown in Figs. 5 and 6 inwhich the upper leaf I I.I, instead of being sheared away to taperingform as shown in Fig. 4, is left intact and the prong grip or lip I3.Iis punched and struck up from the metal in the cut. Prong grip I2.I isproduced in a similar manner on the lower leaf IILI, and is adapted topass through the aperture formed by the punching to produce pronggrip.I3.I. v

The panel 2 is provided with apertures I5 to receive the prongs of thetube yand to register with the apertures l. d

The insulating punching hole I6 shown in Fig. 7 has an additionaladvantage in that the rate of cooling during the soldering operation isincreased, due to a greater area exposed to the air.

Although but two specific embodiments of this invention have been hereinshown and described, it 'will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention as deiined by the following claims:

I claim:

1. An electrical connector comprising a pair of superimposed sprlngmetal leaves rigidly joined at one end and at their other end carryingoutstanding semitubular prong-grips one on each leaf and mutuallydisposed for coaction with each other to embrace an interposed contactorprong, a pair of apertured insulating plates connected together with anaperture in one plate in substantial registration withv that in theother plate and forming a holder for said connector, said plates beingspaced apart suciently for reception of the spring metal leaves of saidconnector and to permittorsional bending of said leaves, the springleaves being disposed in` the space between the plates andthesemi-tubular prong grips of said connector being disposed in theaperture of one of the insulating plates in alignment with theregistering aperture in4 the other plate.

2. The method of making a socket-like contact which consists indie-stamping a blank from spring sheet metal, said blank being oblongwith oppositely disposed'lateral arms at its ends respectively, bendingthese arms in opposite directions on an axis disposed lengthwise of saidplateand also bending each of said arms somewhat cylindrically to faceoppositely on their concave sides, and then bending said blank on itsmiddle transverse axis to bring the cylindroconcave faces of said armsopposite and adjacent to each other and thereby forming from thecomplementary arms a socket adapted to so receive a terminal rod. v

3. The method of making a socket-like con tact which consists indie-stamping ablank from spring sheet metal, said blank being' oblongwith oppositely disposed lateral arms at its ends; respectively, bendingthese arms in opposite directions on an axis disposed lengthwise of saidplate and also bending each of said arms somewhat cylindrically to faceoppositely on ltheir concave sides, then bending said blank on itsvmiddle transverse axis to bring the cylindroconcave faces of said armsopposite and adjacent to each other and thereby forming from thecomplementary arms a socket adapted to so receive a terminal rod, andtogether bending tne two resulting adjacent leaves of the device on amedial transverse axis to incline the socket part toward the oppositeend of the device.

4. The method of making a socket-line contact which consists indie-stamping a blank from spring sheet-mtal, said blank being oblongwith oppositely disposed lateral arms coplanar with said blank at itsends respectively, bending these arms in opposite directions on an axisdisposed lengthwise of said plate and central thereof and also shapingeach arm somewhat cylindrically to face oppositely on their concavesides, and then bending said blank on its middle transverse axis tosuperimpose one part on the other and to bring the cylindro-concavefaces of said arms opposite each other and thereby form from thecomplementary arm members a spring socket adapted to so receive aterminal rod.

.5. An electrical connector comprising a pa'ir of oblong spring metalleaves disposed face t face and rigidly joined at one end and at theirother end having struck-up complementary outstanding transversely curvedcomplemental prong-grips one on each leaf and mutually disposed forcoaction with each other to embrace an interposed contactor prong, apair of apertured insulating plates connected together with certainapertures in one plate in substantial respective registration withcertain of those in the other plate and forming a holder for saidconnector, said plates being spaced apart sufficiently for reception ofthe spring metal leaves of said connector and to permit tortionalbending of said leaves, said spring leaves being disposed in the spacebetween the plates and said prong-grips being held respectively in theapertures of one of said plates to resist spreading at their bases.

6, A female electrical contact element comprising a pair of legs ofsheet metal, each of said legs having an end joined to the correspondingend of the other leg, the free ends of said legs extending insubstantial parallelism in a substantially common plane, each leg,toward its free end, having an integral transversely at least partiallyrounded oiset portion at the edge adjacent the edge of the other leg,the said offset portions being complementary and defining a conoidalchannel adapted to receive a male contact element and having a line ofcleavage extending completely through both sides of the channel and thefree end of the legs, the axis of said channel being angularly disposedwith respect to the substantially common plane of the said free ends,whereby the extensions of the legs are adapted to resiliently engage amale contact element above the said substantially common plane so thatthe resilient engagement on the male element is as a resultant ofstresses comprising those arising from separation of the legs in theirsubstantially common plane and from torsional bending of the legs.

'7. A contact for socket receptacles comprising a pair of juxtaposedresilient sheet metal legs in substantial planar parallelism, said legsbeing connected at one en-d and separated by a line of cleavage at theother end, a'hollow tapering split substantially frusto-conical memberbeing formed in spaced relation to the leg connection substantiallysymmetrically ofthe line of cleavage from material of the adjacent partsof the legs to form a contact-prong-engaging embracing resilient area orsurface spaced from the substantial plane of the legs, said contactbeing formed of substantially intersecting normally eccentric arcsarranged to grip an inserted prong contact element on two diametricallyspaced points as a resultant of the separation of the legs in the commonplane as wellas torsional of the legs through lateral displacement ofthe sides of the 'conical member out of the common plane.

8. A female contact element comprising a pair of legs lying in asubstantially common plane, means joining the legs at one end, the legsbeing provided with respectively integral juxtaposed at least partiallycurved up-standing portions den-i ing a tapering channel completelysplit by a line of separation between the legs, the channel convergingabove the substantially common plane of the legs so that the grip on themale element is as a resultant of stresses comprising resilientresistance of the legs against separation in their substantially commonplane the resilience of the off-set portions relative to the legs andthe torsional bending of the legs distorted by separation of the off-setportions above the said common plane.

9. A female electrical contact element comprising 'a pair ofrlegs ofsheet metal, each of said Vlegs'fhavkng'v an end `Joined ytothecorresponding end' ofthe other leg,` the "freefends' of` the legsyhaving ,fan elongated/substantial line of separation` and y extending`in substantial parallelism in a siibstantiallycommonplane, thelegstoward 'their free ends khaving complemental respectively integralconfronting transversely at least partially the *substantialplane' ofthe legs dening a subs stantial channel having asplit substantiallycoincident with vsaid line, *the lineof separation `hayingsuch lengththat theends ofthe legs can `15f .l v l v l fysubstantiallyperpendicular adjustmentlof thel bep-independently benton',L substantial axes lying inr said substantial plane to permitindependent ,1 respective roff-set portions, thesubstantialgcham'fnelbeing adapted tobe entered and widened byr` f amale contactelement,'andfthe oiT-set portions beinglarranged to resilientlyengageand contact i ywithsuch male membersat appoint spaced from n',said'substantial vcommon plane so that'the en'- gagemen'ton suchmale'member' is asa resultant of 1 stresses comprising L'resilienceIofthe legsy against vseparation in thesubstantial plane, torsionalbending of the legs, resilience of the legs j and resilience of theoff-set portions relative to the'legs.. y y l y vl0. An electrical.connector comprising a pair of spring metal leaves rigidly joined atone end andy lying in a substantially common plane and at their otherend carrying outstanding semitubularprong grips one on each leaf and4mutu` y, ally ydisposed for coaction with each other to embrace aninterposed contacter prong by torsion of said leaves, a pair ofvapertured insulating plates `,connected together with certain aperturesin one platefin substantial respective registration with certain ofthose, in the other plate and forming a holderfor said connector, saidplates being `spaced apartsufllcientlyfor reception of the spring metalleaves of said connector and to permit torsional 4 bendingofsaid'ffleaves, the spring leaves being gdisposed between the plates andthe semi-tubular prong grips of said connector being disposed in theaperture of vone plate in alignment with the yregistering aperture inthe other plate.

FRANK M. CLEMENT.

